


We Built This Right

by Remy_Writes5



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Alternate Universe - Skating, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Desi Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy & Pansy Parkinson Friendship, Enemies to Lovers, First Time, Fluff, French Draco Malfoy, Getting Together, Homophobic Language, Ice Skating, Inspired by Yuri!!! on Ice, LCDrarry, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Minor Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Oral Sex, Smut, strained relationship with parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:20:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23995156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remy_Writes5/pseuds/Remy_Writes5
Summary: At last year's Grand Prix Final, Harry had an accident that left him with a lightning scar on his forehead, a concussion and a twisted ankle. Now everyone is waiting to see if his career is over - including former rival, Draco Malfoy.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 9
Kudos: 145
Collections: Lights Camera Drarry 2020





	We Built This Right

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the anime Yuri!!! on Ice. There isn't really an equivalent of Yurio in this AU as I didn't really want to focus on a third character. I changed things up a bit because in this AU, certain outcomes just made more sense to me. Also thanks Joanne for having no Asian male characters in your story. Made it a real treat when trying to pick characters to be from other countries. Regardless, I had a lot of fun writing this for Light Camera Drarry 2020! Thanks for reading!

Six time Grand Prix champion and French figure skater Draco Malfoy sat on his bed with his labradoodle Bruno in his lap. His phone was clutched in his hand and he watched a video, swiping away the notifications that came up at the top of the screen. His phone had been blowing up with people telling him to watch Potter's video for the past hour.

Harry Potter, one of the dime a dozen British figure skaters that had joined the Senior division this past year, had had a promising start to the season, winning silver in Skate America and had quickly become the skater to beat. Draco had been looking forward to crushing him for his sixth consecutive win. But then during his Long program, Potter had attempted a quadruple toe-loop and landed wrong. He went smashing into the side railing and ended up with a concussion, a twisted ankle and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Needless to say, he hadn't finished his program.

There had been some speculation about what would happen to Potter's career, but the English skater had been remarkably quiet about the whole thing. It had been six months and not a word to the press about it. His coach, Minerva McGonagall, had stayed remarkably tight-lipped about the whole thing as well. All his posts on his Instagram had just been of his family and friends, nothing whatsoever about skating. At least not until that night.

Potter had posted a video of him skating, clearly new footage because the scar on his forehead had faded from red to white. It was in stark contrast to his light brown skin, clearly on display in the video because his hair was slicked back out of his eyes. He wasn't doing his own routine though; he was doing one of Draco's – his program from a year ago that had scored him his sixth gold medal. His eyes snapped up to the medals adorning his bedroom wall and then right back to the screen. He rewound the video to see what he'd missed even though he knew he'd be watching it again anyway.

Once the video was done, he pulled up a side-by-side comparison video of Potter and Draco doing the same routine. Potter wasn't quite as graceful as Draco, but that might have had something to do with his height and weight. He had put on at least a stone since last year's Grand Prix, probably from just sitting at home and not skating. Yet, there was something about the way Potter skated – a melancholia and beauty to it – even if Draco's version was perfect on a technical level. It also seemed Potter had turned all the quads into triples, probably because he was hesitant after his accident.

Draco watched the video again and then again. When he took Bruno for a walk, the vision of Potter was still swimming behind his eyelids whenever he blinked. He couldn't get it out of his mind. He pulled his phone out while Bruno sniffed a patch of grass, and read a few of the headlines about it.

_Is This Harry Potter's Farewell to Skating?_

_After Six Months of Silence, British Skater Harry Potter Posts Video on Instagram Doing Draco Malfoy's Routine. What Does It Mean for the Skater?_

_Is Harry Potter Quitting Skating after Accident at Last Year's Grand Prix?_

_Friend Close to Potter Claims a Retirement Announcement Might Be Coming after Strange Video Is Posted on Instagram._

Draco growled lowly and pushed the power button on his phone a little harder than was strictly necessary. It couldn't end that way. It was just so pathetic. Draco wouldn't allow Potter to go out like that after such a promising start to last season. He had to do something, but he had no idea what.

When he arrived home, Draco booked a flight to London without giving it much thought. He wasn't often impulsive – the last impulsive thing he had done was getting Bruno five years earlier – even though his best friend Pansy had warned him he wouldn't have the time or energy to care for a dog. Luckily, Pansy had fallen in love with Bruno as well and was happy to dogsit when Draco was out of the country for competitions. Other than that, Draco had always kept himself in check, doing what it took to win, except that one night with Potter, of course.

***

 _Nine Months Ago_

It was the first night of the Grand Prix. Before the competition began, they always held a banquet for all the skaters where everyone played nice and usually drank too much. Luckily no one would have to skate the next day and everybody usually spent the afternoon sightseeing or nursing their hangovers.

Potter got very drunk – probably out of nerves since this was his first Grand Prix – and he also got a little rowdy. He challenged the Russian skater Viktor Krum to a dance off that soon involved pretty much all the skaters. In the midst of all the dancing, Potter came up to Draco and asked to have a kiss if he won the dancing competition. Caught a little off guard, Draco somehow found himself agreeing.

After the party, Draco dragged Harry back to his room, the two of them laughing and stumbling over their own feet. While Draco fumbled the key card into the slot, Harry squeezed in close behind him, making his interest known, pressing sloppy kisses to Draco's neck. Once Draco finally succeeded in opening the door, he shoved Harry inside and led him over to the bed.

Harry kissed with very little finesse, as if he'd never properly kissed anyone before, but had seen the act on television. Draco directed him in what to do, giving little tips and tricks, despite his alcohol-soaked brain. If Harry took offense to being told what to do, he didn't show it, and he was a quick study. Before long, Harry was kissing Draco so well that it made Draco's toes curl.

"Mm, you're a really good teacher," Harry murmured softly between kisses. "Maybe you should be my coach."

Draco laughed and captured Harry's lips again, ignoring his ridiculous suggestion. Coaching was what you did when your career was over. Draco wasn't about to give up his career when he was just twenty-five. He still had at least two years before people started saying he was too old for the sport, maybe three if he stayed in top form.

Draco slipped his fingers into Harry's unkempt hair, enjoying the feel of it sliding through his long fingers, letting his nails just barely scratch against Harry's scalp. Harry gasped against Draco's mouth and pressed in closer.

They ended up falling asleep with nothing happening between them besides the snogging and a bit of light groping. Draco woke up the next morning and realized what an absolutely terrible decision he had made. Harry was the competition and Draco'd never done anything like this before. He couldn't let himself get distracted when he had come here to win. So with one last indulgent pet to Harry's messy hair, Draco slipped from the room and left Harry to sleep. Since that night, he had often wondered what would have happened if he'd stayed.

***

Draco arrived in London and made his way to the Bed and Breakfast that the Potters owned in Godric's Hollow. He secured, a quaint little room painted in green and silver, leaving the reservation open-ended. The room size was going to be a problem once the rest of his stuff got there, as it wasn’t even the size of his walk-in closet back home. He was having quite a lot shipped over from his flat in Paris. But if he was going to be there for a while, he was going to need all his stuff.</p>

<p>Draco was downstairs chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Potter when the door opened and Harry came in with his skates over his shoulder. ">

"Harry!" Mrs. Potter said, waving him over. "This is Draco. He's booked the Slytherin room for the time being."

"You two know each other, right?" Mr. Potter said, grinning broadly at his son.

Harry proceeded to turn bright red and Draco couldn't help finding it just a little bit endearing. He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. "Yes, we've met before," Harry said, narrowing his eyes at Draco just a little. "Why are you here?"

Draco stood up gracefully with a bit of a flourish. "Harry Potter, I'm here to offer my services as your new coach!"

His declaration was met with a moment of silence before Mrs. Potter cleared her throat. "Well isn't that nice, Harry? You were just saying the other day you were thinking of going in a different direction. You know, since Minerva has so many students and can't really give you the one-on-one training you need."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?"

Draco looked around the room, slightly stunned that he hadn't gotten more of a response. What was wrong with these people? "And I expect you to make it to the Grand Prix Final and win gold. It shouldn't be too difficult since I won't be competing myself. Facile."

Mr. Potter suddenly seemed much more intrigued. "Wait, you're taking yourself out of the competition this year?"

Draco nodded. "I've decided to take a year off and think about my career. In the meantime, I thought I might help out Harry."

"That's great!" Mr. Potter said, thumping Draco on the back. "Isn't that great, Harry?"

Everyone turned to look at Harry, who had taken on a kind of sickly green complexion. It reminded Draco of the color of his room upstairs. 

"I – uh…" Harry took a few steps back and then bolted from the room. "I'll be right back!"

Draco heard a door upstairs slam and he winced slightly. In all honesty, he had been expecting that to go a bit better. He turned to look at Harry's parents, getting a shrug from Mr. Potter and a polite smile from Mrs. Potter.

"Harry's room is the first door on the right," Mrs. Potter informed him. Draco gave her a nod of thanks and made his way upstairs. He stood outside of Harry's room and wrapped one knuckle against the door, leaning against the doorframe.

"Harry," Draco said, his tone chiding. "I didn't fly to London just to speak to you through the door."

The door opened and Harry scowled at him. "Why _did_ you fly all the way here then?"

Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I told you, I'm here to be your coach." Draco pushed his way into Harry's room, ignoring Harry's protests. "And from what your parents told me, you're in need of a coach anyway so it seems like my timing is perfect."

Harry huffed indignantly and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not looking for a coach. I don't even know if I want to continue my skating career!"

"Of course you do," Draco said, frowning in confusion. "Why post that video if – "

"It was my goodbye," Harry cut him off, beginning to pace his room. "A goodbye to the sport I love."

Draco moved in front of Harry and took both his hands in his own. "It doesn't have to be, Harry. Everyone is waiting to see what you'll do next. You can't disappoint them. You can't disappoint me."

Harry pulled his hands away and backed up. "If I say yes, will you get out of my room?"

"Yes."

"Very well. You can be my coach."

Draco grinned and threw his arms around Harry, pulling him into a hug. "Just one more thing. Before I can officially start your training as your coach, you're going to have to lose the extra weight you've put on." Draco dropped his hands and pinched Harry's love handles.

Harry shoved Draco away. "Get out!"

***

It took a while and a lot of work to get Harry back to the weight he had been during his last Grand Prix series. Draco refused to let Harry skate until he shed the weight, so their days were spent jogging and hitting the gym instead. Draco did everything he could to try and get close to Harry, but it seemed like Harry wasn't interested in them getting to know each other.

After being brushed off yet again by Harry, Draco went into his bedroom and flopped down on the bed. He decided to Facetime Pansy, just to see a friendly face. The Potters (minus Harry) were friendly enough and Draco had made acquaintances with Ron and Hermione, who owned the local ice rink, but none of them were making him feel any less lonely being in London.

"Salut Draco!" Pansy greeted him, answering the phone with her arm around Bruno. She had graciously agreed to watch Draco's dog for the time being so he could focus on Harry. Seeing his beloved dog on his phone screen made Draco tear up and regret leaving him behind. Pansy seemed to take in his demeanor immediately. "What's wrong?"

Draco sniffled and turned on his side. "I think coming here might have been a mistake."

Pansy raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "We don't make mistakes."

Draco laughed and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. She always did have an uncanny ability to make him feel better with just a few words. Growing up, Draco hadn't had many friends as most of his free time was spent skating. Pansy had been one of the rare few from school that had taken the time to get to know him. 

"It's just that I'm not getting anywhere with Harry. He won't speak to me and I'm starting to feel like this whole idea was stupid."

"Look, I might not know anything about skating, but I know you. Skating is the first thing you didn't immediately give up because you didn't get your way. Remember when you decided you were going to be an artist?"

Draco shuddered to think of his terrible watercolors.

"Exactly. So because you're not immediately the world's greatest coach you're ready to throw in the towel. I don't understand why you went to London, but as your best friend, I understand it was something you needed to do. So now you need to stick with it and just trust that Harry will come around."

"You're right," Draco said, sighing heavily. "Thank you."

"I'm always right," Pansy said, feeding Bruno a treat. "Isn't that right, mon petit?"

"You're not feeding him too many of those, are you?"

"Hush," Pansy said, flipping her hair expertly, a move she had perfected when she was twelve. "While you're away, Bruno is basically my dog and that means I get to give him whatever I want."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You're going to make him fat."

"Too bad! Nothing you can do about it. Bye, love you! Bonne chance!"

"Wait – " Draco began but Pansy had already ended the call. Exhaling loudly, Draco got up and went down the hall to Harry's room. Yawning slightly, he stretched his arms over his head and then knocked on the door. Harry poked his head out and his face visibly crumpled when he saw it was Draco.

Determined to get through to Harry, Draco shouldered his way into the room. 

"Hey, what are you doing?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Harry, if I am to be your coach, it is important that we get to know each other," Draco said firmly, coming to stand in front of Harry. "I want to know everything about you, your friends and your hobbies."

"I – well – I – " Harry stammered, his face going a bit red. Draco had to keep from laughing or telling Harry just how adorable he was. Something behind Harry's head caught Draco's eye and he stepped around Harry to take a closer look. "No! I – Oh god!"

Draco brought his finger to his chin and examined a poster of himself. It was from two years ago, when Draco had kept his hair on the longer side, falling well past his shoulders. He had picked a dark blue costume with silver accents to bring out his grey eyes. The program had been soft and romantic in mood with Draco focusing more on his ballet training to enhance the gracefulness of his movements. Looking at it now, all Draco could see was that the long hair made him look unbearably like his father. "So you're a fan then, hm?" Draco asked, flashing Harry his most charming smile.

"I used to be," Harry said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Ever since I was about thirteen and I saw your debut in the senior division."

Draco bit his finger for a moment and then reached out to grab Harry and pull him closer. "Enough about me, Harry, I want to hear about you."

Harry stepped away and went to sit on the bed. Draco dropped down and knelt in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to get close to Harry, it seemed Harry was always pulling away. Draco had no idea how to get through to him, to break down that barrier that Harry kept putting up.

Draco looked up at Harry expectantly but Harry just looked away from him. Exhaling loudly, Draco got to his feet and held out his hand. "Tell me what you do for fun around here, Harry. Or better yet, show me."

Harry seemed to debate for a moment and then took Draco's hand. They ended up getting fish and chips and sitting on a bench in the park. Draco hadn't had chips in years, not since he'd started skating. 

"This is so good!" he said, shoving a few more in his mouth.

Harry laughed, the first time Draco had heard it since coming to London. It was bizarre to think that Draco had been in London for almost a month and Harry hadn't laughed once. All it had taken was seeing Draco stuff his face with food, so Draco ate a few more chips and asked between bites: "Are you excited to start skating tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Harry said, putting his food aside and placing his hands in his lap.

Draco sighed at yet another one word answer. Why was he having so much trouble getting through to him? "Do you want to know why I'm here, Harry?"

"Considering the whole world of figure skating has gone crazy wondering that, kind of, yeah," Harry said, glancing shyly over at Draco.

Draco dropped his head back onto the bench and stared up at the cloudy London sky. "I had just come off a triple win at the Grand Prix, the Nationals and the Worlds. It was time to start a new season and I was just…so bored. It felt like no matter what I did, I was guaranteed a spot on the podium. No surprises, no surpassing myself, and no real competitors. Then the season started and I kept hearing your name, Harry Potter, the skating world's new golden boy. Might even be able to give Draco Malfoy a run for his money." Draco leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs, his head bowed and his hair falling into his eyes. "Then you had your accident and I was so angry with you. I was hoping you might make things interesting again."

"You – you – " Harry sputtered angrily, his face turning bright red. "You wanker!"

Draco glanced over in surprise to find Harry jumping to his feet and stomping off. 

"Harry!" Draco called after him, but Harry didn't turn around. 

"Merde."

***

It was supposed to be their first day of training together, picking Harry's short program and free skate. Draco had a playlist on Spotify of songs he thought might fit in case Harry didn't have any music picked out. Draco had always picked his own music, but he didn't want to overwhelm Harry, especially not after their disastrous interaction the day before.

However, thirty minutes after they were meant to meet, Harry still wasn't there. Draco tried and failed not to take it personally that Harry was essentially wasting his time when he'd come here to help him. If he weren't on such awkward footing with Harry, he would chew the guy out for blowing him off.

Making a decision, Draco went to the rink office where Hermione was doing the accounting. She glanced up when Draco entered the office and smiled politely at him. "Did you need something, Draco?"

"Harry isn't here."

"Oh," Hermione said, biting her bottom lip nervously. "He was so excited to finally get to skate. I'm surprised."

"You're the one who shot the video, right?" Draco asked, leaning against the doorframe. It was a rare moment to get Hermione alone without Ron. He had a feeling Ron didn't like him all that much, but Hermione was a decent sort. "Why did he do my routine?"

Hermione dropped her chin in her hand and gave him an exasperated look. "Why do you think?"

"I have no idea."

"Harry looks up to you," she said in a way that was so condescending that Draco might have called her out on it if he wasn't anxious to hear what she would say next. "Even back when you were in the junior division, and Harry and I would just skate around the rink here for fun, you were always his favorite skater. I always did prefer Viktor Krum."

"He's overrated," Draco said snippily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Harry has always been a good skater," Hermione continued as if Draco hadn't spoken. "He's got a lot of natural talent but not a lot of training. He pushes himself past his limits and that's why he had his accident at the Grand Prix. He'll deny it, but I know that's why. He wanted to be like you so he tried for a jump he wasn't ready for, and it cost him a lot."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I guess I want Harry to have a second chance," Hermione responded with a shrug, picking her pen back up to continue the books. "I think you're his best shot."

"I can't help him if he's not here."

"If he's not at the rink, then he'll be at Luna's place," she said with a sigh. "Can't miss it, it's the only bright purple building in town."

"Thank you," Draco said, pushing off the wall and leaving Hermione to her sums.

***

It was indeed easy to find the only purple building in town, but Draco hadn't expected it to be a dance studio. He made his way up the steps to the second floor and found Harry at the bar standing behind a petite blond woman,copying her moves. Draco watched from the doorway as Harry lifted his leg, his left arm raised above his head.

"Oh hello," the woman, who Draco could only assume was Luna, said in the softest voice he had ever heard. "You must be Draco. Harry told me you were here to help him with his skating."

"I am," Draco said, looking meaningfully over at Harry. "Bit difficult when he doesn't show up for practice."

Harry scowled at him, but Luna was immediately apologetic. "Oh Harry, you didn't tell me you had practice. I wouldn't have kept you."

"It's okay," Harry said, walking to the side of the room and grabbing his bag. "It wasn't anything important. See you later, Luna."

Harry brushed past Draco, which left Draco to catch up to him. He grabbed Harry by the arm when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "If you want me to leave, just say so."

Harry looked caught off guard, his eyes searching Draco's. "I don't want you to leave."

"You've been less than welcoming since I've been here," Draco reasoned, pressing Harry against the side of the ridiculous purple building.

"I thought you came here for me," Harry said accusingly. He turned his face away and clenched his jaw, clearly upset with himself for having said anything.

"I did."

"No, you didn't!" Harry said angrily, shoving Draco away. "You came so I'll make things more interesting for you. You came to get me back on my feet so that we can go back to being rivals. That means, the minute you think I'm good enough, you'll quit on me. Never mind that you're the reason I'm like this to begin with!"

Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand what you mean." 

"You –" Harry groaned in frustration and tugged his fingers through his messy hair. "That night after the banquet when you took me back to your hotel room and we snogged. You had no idea what that night meant to me. You were like a God to me and I looked up to you. Then you left me there all alone without saying a word to me, and I realized what a sodding fool I'd been thinking I meant anything to you. It fucked with my head and that's why I missed my jump." Harry glanced up at Draco, tears sliding down his cheeks. He laughed awkwardly and wiped them away with his sleeve, but more fell despite his best efforts. "Your free skate was right after mine so you were standing there waiting to go next. The moment I saw you, I lost my footing and that's why I had my accident. And all this time, not a word from you, but then you show up here and you make me think you care about me again."

"I do!"

"No!" Harry shouted, staring Draco down, his green eyes alight with an unnatural flame, hard and piercing behind his glasses. "Once again it's about you! You'll get what you want from me and you'll leave again."

Draco turned away, sliding his fingers through his hair and his palm resting against his forehead. "I'm not so good with people crying. Should I just kiss you again?"

"I don't want that," Harry said, sounding miserable. "I want you to be interested in me and not just my skating."

"I've tried!" Draco said indignantly, turning back around and pinning Harry with his gaze. "This past month I've done nothing but try to get to know you. You won't let me in. Harry, please! The way you skate is magnificent, but your skating is you. Can't you see that? No one else can skate the way you can."

Draco reached out, cupping Harry's face in his hands, wiping away the remaining tears. 

"Really?" Harry asked, smiling softly.

"I need you to trust me, just a little," Draco pleaded, pressing their foreheads together. "Forgive me and let us build from there. I will remain your coach for as long as you want me."

Harry's breath hitched slightly, and he wrapped his hands around Draco's wrists to hold him in place. "You mean that?"

"I do."

It had taken a lot of fighting, yelling and crying (on Harry's part) to get his routines where Draco wanted them. Harry had been hesitant to try any quads again, and it had taken a lot of pushing and encouraging (on Draco's part) to get Harry there.

Now that Draco was actually getting a chance to do it, Draco found he was enjoying being a coach. Sure, Harry was stubborn, and sometimes he drove Draco crazy, but mostly things had gone better than expected. Considering their rocky start, Draco and Harry had settled into something Draco couldn't quite name. It was very different from the relationship Draco had had with his coach, Igor Karkaroff, who had been a gruff Russian man with high expectations. Perhaps it was because Draco and Harry were so similar in age that their relationship felt different.

Harry had easily gotten a personal best in the local qualifier and that meant his next two events were Skate America and Trophée de France to find out if he would make it to the Grand Prix Final at the end of the season.

***

### Skate America

Draco felt like he was getting a better handle on Harry's moods – the nerves he felt before a skate, the fear of not landing a jump and having another accident, the humiliation of disappointing everyone rooting for him. He had done well during the short program – earning another personal best and landing in the top spot – but now it was time for the free skate. During the warm-up, Harry had fallen when attempting a quadruple lutz. Draco could tell that Harry was upset with himself but also terrified of what that would mean during his performance. Unfortunately, due to his top place ranking, Harry was up first to skate and that meant he had no time to recover from his terrible practice jump. Draco could only hope Harry could shake it off.

"We should change the quads in the second half to triples," Draco told him decisively as he handed Harry his water.

"What?" Harry hissed, his hands curling into fists. "Why?"

"You don't need to do quads to win," Draco said simply, meeting Harry's fiery stare. "We'll work on it back home, but for now you can get a high score if you just focus on the presentation. The step sequence alone will earn you high marks."

"Draco –"

"Harry, I'm your coach, aren't I?"

"Well yes, but –"

"You wouldn't disobey your coach, would you?"

Harry worked his jaw, looking ready to argue some more, but they called for all the skaters to get off the ice except for Harry. Draco reached out to touch Harry's hand, but Harry pushed away from the wall before he could. He still looked angry as he made his way out onto the ice, and Draco could only hope he would be able to use it in his performance. Maybe Draco had managed to light a fire under him that would help him forget all his other insecurities.

As Harry's music began, Draco could tell that he was different. At the qualifier, Harry had been able to just focus on skating and not get bogged down in the competition. It was all just about scoring points with no medals involved. This time, though, there was a chance to get on the podium, and Harry was skating like a real competitor.

The way his body moved to the music was so different from the way Draco skated. Harry looked impatient; like his body couldn't keep up with how desperately he wanted to let the piece flow through him. It was mesmerizing, and Draco wouldn't have been able to look away even if he'd wanted to.

Harry’s short program was about a triumph of will, a man forced to beat three tasks: fighting a dragon, stealing treasure from mermaids and fighting his way through a maze with many monsters.

His free skate program told the story of a boy stuck in a battle with an evil sorcerer who wanted the boy destroyed. They fought many battles against each other, but in order to win, the boy learned he would need to die at the hands of his enemy. Each jump was a battle and then victory over the evil sorcerer, the step sequence symbolized the boy coming to terms with the fact that he would need to die, until the final moment when hands clasped together and raised over his head the boy gave in to death.

Harry had decided that the theme for his skate performances this season would be perseverance. Draco had completely agreed, as this was Harry's comeback after his accident. The truth was that Draco was so proud of Harry and everything he had accomplished so far this season. He knew Harry had his heart set on gold, but Draco thought the fact that he was even competing again was a huge accomplishment already. A lesser skater would have let an accident like that take them down for good.

It didn't take Draco long to figure out that Harry had disobeyed his order and was going back to doing the quads. When Draco knew the first one was coming, his heart felt like it was going to burst, and he found himself holding his breath. The moment Harry's feet touched the ice, Draco threw his arms in the air in celebration. Considering Harry hadn't landed it in practice, the speed and height of the jump had been perfect.

Draco had been right – Harry was even more determined once he was told he couldn't do something. Such knowledge would come in handy as his coach. He was annoyed that Harry had ignored his advice, but then again, Draco had done his fair share of ignoring his coach. 

Harry looked beautiful, strong yet graceful, showing no sign of fatigue as he went into his final jump. Draco bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, clutching the siding in front of him. Harry was already in the air, taking what felt like forever to touch back down. In anticipation, Draco’s breath caught and his hands flew to the side of his face.

Harry landed the jump, but a moment later his hand touched the ice briefly to stabilize himself. It would mean a deduction in points, but he definitely had enough rotations for it to count as a quad. Draco had never felt anything quite like this – a heart pounding rush of emotion – not even during his own skating career. When Harry finished out his routine, Draco was already moving, rushing to meet Harry as he got off the ice.

Harry was skating hard and fast, hurrying to get to Draco. "Draco! Did you see me? I did great, right?"

Draco stretched his arms out, and Harry went straight into them. But instead of just a hug, Draco also captured Harry's lips, his hand cradling the nape of Harry's neck. He could immediately hear the clicking of camera shutters going off, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He could just hear Harry's gasp of surprise over everyone in the crowd doing the same thing. Draco pulled back slightly for a moment. "You were wonderful," he praised, giving Harry another quick, soft kiss.

"Draco, everyone can see us," Harry said, hiding his face in Draco's neck.

"I don't really mind, do you?" Draco asked, nuzzling Harry affectionately.

"I…" Harry glanced up at Draco and smiled warmly at him. "No, no I don't mind."

***

### Trophée de France

Harry had surprised everyone by winning silver at Skate America, with Cedric Diggory of Switzerland coming in first and Blaise Zabini of the United States coming in third. Draco was so proud of Harry for getting on the podium, even if he hadn't won gold. Of course he didn't say that to Harry because he wanted him to stay motivated. Although he had probably spoiled that by kissing Harry after his last performance.

Their kiss had dominated the news cycle, which was quite the shame as it overshadowed Harry's silver medal and his comeback. Still, Draco couldn't bring himself to regret kissing Harry so publicly. Yet another impulsive decision. Those seemed to be happening a lot where Harry was concerned.

After a few weeks off, they headed to France for Harry's next event. It was nice to be going home after months away, finally getting a chance to see Pansy and Bruno again, and to stay in his own flat instead of at a hotel. Since most of his stuff had been packed up and shipped to England while he was training with Harry, his apartment was looking a little sparse.

"Come in," Draco said, tugging Harry inside. He was excited to show Harry around and share this part of his life with him. He gave Harry a quick tour of his flat and hoped that Harry loved it as much as he did. It had a balcony with a spectacular view of the Seine. He wanted nothing more than to sit at the little two-person table out there, drinking coffee and watching the river.

He had just finished showing Harry the bedroom and was turning to go back to the sitting room when Harry grabbed him by his collar. Draco yelped in surprise as Harry pushed him against the wall. "Draco, I've been waiting for weeks for you to make a move."

"Make a move?" Draco echoed in surprise.

Harry exhaled loudly in exasperation. "You must know what I mean. You kissed me for the whole world to see and since then you haven't done so much as hold my hand. I'm not going to lie – I expected a little more than that – especially now that you've got me alone in your flat."

"I didn't want to cause any more distraction," Draco admitted softly, allowing himself to run his fingers through Harry's hair. "After what happened last time…"

"This is nothing like last time," Harry murmured, pressing a few kisses along Draco's jawline. "This time you'll stay with me."

"Of course," Draco whispered, clasping his hand in the back of Harry's hair and bringing their lips together. This was nothing like the chaste kiss they had shared in front of the cameras. Already it was something deeper, something heated, Draco licking his way into Harry's mouth to claim what Harry had offered gladly.

"Draco," Harry moaned, sliding his hands under the bottom of Draco's turtleneck, lifting it over his head and throwing it to the side. "You can't take a bloke to Paris, spend the whole day speaking French in front of him and then not shag him. It's cruel."

"My apologies," Draco said with a smirk. "I had no idea what terrible etiquette I was displaying. Forgive me."

"Only if you make it up to me," Harry said with a wink, grabbing Draco by the belt buckle and walking backwards towards the bed. He dropped down onto it and pulled Draco on top of him. Draco couldn't help noticing what a beautiful picture Harry made on his bed against his grey Egyptian cotton sheets. He indulged himself in relearning Harry's mouth, noticing that Harry had remembered Draco's advice from the first time they'd done this. He only broke the kiss in favor of divesting Harry of another few pieces of clothing. Once he'd gotten Harry naked, he sat back on his heels and looked down at his lover. His brown skin appeared almost golden in the afternoon sunlight. His body lithe and well toned from skating. "Stop staring and do something." Harry blushed and grabbed for Draco, undoing his belt and pulling it from the loops of his jeans.

"Tu es à moi," Draco breathed out, placing one hand beside Harry's head, while the other was wrapped around Harry's cock. Harry groaned and pressed up into Draco's touch. "Je voudrais te faire l'amour."

"Draco," Harry said brokenly, sliding his fingers down Draco's torso. "More. I –I want more."

"Anything Harry," Draco told him, gathering the precome at the tip and sliding it down Harry's shaft. "Whatever you want."

"I want you to fuck me," Harry said, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. "I've wanted it for a long time."

"Harry, we can't," Draco told him, shaking his head slightly. He dropped his hand down to Harry's balls and rolled them against his palm. "Having anal sex this close to competition might affect your performance."

"You said anything I want," Harry reminded him, wrapping his legs around Draco's waist and using them to pull Draco more fully on top of him. "Come on, I won't break and the competition isn't for a few days."

Draco sighed and captured Harry's lips once again. If he were a better coach he would insist on them doing something else. Yet he could already feel himself relenting and he couldn't deny this was something he wanted. He reached into the nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom. "You can tell me to stop at any time if you're uncomfortable."

"I'm not going to be uncomfortable," Harry insisted, smiling warmly up at Draco. "You'll take care of me like you always do."

Draco was astounded by the amount of faith Harry had in him – to be so gentle and loving. He wanted nothing more than to be the man that Harry saw. To give Harry the world just like Harry believed he could. It had been quite a while since Draco had taken a lover, and while his need for Harry was insatiable, he knew this couldn’t be rushed. 

He took his time opening Harry up, making sure Harry wasn't in any kind of pain or discomfort. He ignored Harry's pleading for more and made sure that Harry felt nothing but pleasure. In order to accomplish this he took Harry into his mouth, bobbing his head and moving his fingers in unison. Every time his fingers pressed against Harry's prostate, Draco would take Harry as deep as possible, so that if Harry moved or bucked off the bed, he wouldn't choke Draco as he had nowhere left to go.

"Draco, please!" Harry begged once again, his voice broken and needy. "Please!"

Draco dislodged his mouth with a wet pop and smiled up at Harry. "You're so beautiful," he said adoringly, easing his fingers from inside Harry. "On your hands and knees is better for your first time."

Harry nodded and flipped over, pushing himself up onto all fours. Draco bit back a groan at the picture Harry presented. Draco let his eyes rake greedily over Harry's form for a moment and something possessive growled deep in his chest. He tore the condom wrapper open and slipped the condom onto his aching prick. He poured lube over it and then lined himself up, reminding himself to go slowly and not just bury himself inside Harry's eager body.

It took a bit of work to get the head past the ring of muscles. "Relax," Draco whispered, pressing a kiss between Harry's shoulder blades. "Let me in."

They moaned in unison as Harry's body unclenched, and Draco was able to thrust deeper inside. He continued until he was in to the hilt and then stayed still to allow Harry to adjust. "Oh," Harry gasped, dropping his head and letting it hang between his shaking arms.

"Okay?" Draco asked, kissing Harry's exposed nape. "Do you want to stop?"

"No!" Harry responded quickly. "Don't stop."

"I won't," Draco promised, wrapping his hand around Harry's cock and slowly stroking him. He could feel Harry shivering under him every time Draco swiped his thumb over the head. He did a few experimental thrusts and was rewarded with Harry making little mewling noises under him. Harry dropped onto his elbows, grabbed a pillow and pressed his face into it,, his back arched enticingly, ass still in the air.

Draco set a pace, keeping his thrusts languid and not wanting to overwhelm Harry – at least not yet. Still, Harry made little ah ah ah sounds every time Draco bottomed out inside him. "So beautiful," Draco murmured against his skin. "So good to me. You don't know how happy you make me, Harry. J'adore."

"Draco!" Harry cried out, his hands fisted on either side of the pillow, his release spilling onto the bed beneath him. Draco wasn't far behind, lasting only a few moments more before the sight of Harry coming undone beneath him was too much. He buried himself inside his lover and let go.

***

"Bruno!" Draco cried out as his dog came bounding over to him. "I've missed you!"

Pansy strolled into Draco’s flat a moment later and put her keys down on the kitchen counter along with a box of pastries from their favorite bakery. "Alright, where is he?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Can we not do this?"

Pansy pointed a perfectly manicured nail at Draco. "It is my duty as your best friend to screen all potential boyfriends. Or are you forgetting that time you dated that hockey player without my permission?"

"Goyle wasn't that bad," Draco grumbled to himself, grabbing one of Bruno's favorite toys and throwing it into the sitting room for him to chase. He stood up and pulled Pansy into a hug even though he knew she hated it. She indulged him for a few moments and then shoved him away.

"Goyle was a Neanderthal," she said primly. "And you two didn't last a month. Now stop stalling and let me meet him."

"I'm not stalling for your information," Draco said, sticking his tongue out at her. He often thought of Pansy as the sister he'd never had, and they tended to get a bit childish around each other. "He's in the shower."

"Oh?" Pansy asked with a knowing smile. "How was it then?"

"A gentleman never kisses and tells," Draco informed her. He turned his back and began to make them coffee. He knew that wouldn't be the end of it, but he could at least pretend.

"You have with all the others," Pansy reminded him. Bruno bounded back into the kitchen with the ball in his mouth. "Drop it."

Bruno dropped the ball as Pansy found it too disgusting to take the ball from Bruno's mouth the way Draco did. "Maybe this is different," Draco said with his back still to her. Sometimes, when Pansy couldn't see his face, he could successfully hide things from her. It was rare, but sometimes he could just pull it off.

"Different how?"

"It's just different," Draco said with a noncommittal shrug. He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and filled them with coffee. He took his with milk and one sugar while Pansy liked two sugars and no milk. He slid hers across the counter and took a sip of his own.

"Different like…" Pansy tilted her head to the side and examined Draco for a long moment. "You're in love?"

Draco took a longer sip to keep from having to answer the question. He already knew the answer. He had been steadily falling in love with Harry for months now. Every time he watched Harry skate, it was like his heart grew fuller. Perhaps he had even loved Harry as far back as that first video that had brought them together. Maybe that was why Draco had felt the need to fly to Harry – to be near him – to know him.

"Wow," Pansy said, stirring her coffee pensively. "Draco Malfoy in love. I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'm not incapable of it, you know," he said indignantly. He rifled through the pastries until he found a cheese Danish and bit into it.

"I know that," Pansy said, gingerly gripping a chocolate croissant and delicately bringing it to her lips. "It's just nice to see is all. You take these men to bed, and sometimes I can't even tell if you like them at all or just want to scratch an itch."

"It doesn't always have to be about love," Draco said, gently pushing Bruno away as he put his paws up on Draco’s legs and tried to steal some food. "No begging."

"That better not be directed at me. I have it on good authority that I'm very pretty when I beg."

Draco whipped around to find Harry fresh from the shower and a towel slung low on his hips. Pansy looked between the two of them and then couldn't help laughing.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he blushed a deep red. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else was here."

"Don't apologize," Pansy said, shooting Draco a smirk. "That was hilarious."

Bruno went over to Harry excitedly, his tail wagging at getting to meet someone new. Harry gave his head a few awkward pats. "I'll um…I'll just go get dressed. Sorry!"

Harry rushed off towards the bedroom, and Bruno went to follow him. "Bruno stay," Draco said sternly. Bruno sat, but immediately looked back at Draco and whined at him. "Don't give me that. You'll live."

"How long are you in town for?" Pansy asked, polishing off her croissant and then wiping her fingers on a napkin.

"Just the rest of the week," Draco answered with a deep sigh. He hadn't realized how homesick he was until he was back in the flat he had painstakingly decorated. He'd missed his best friend and his dog. He'd also begun to miss skating. The local rink had been like his second home growing up, and he would often trek up there when something was on his mind. It would be hours of skating until he solved it or worked through it. He'd spent a lot of time there after he'd come out to his parents. Sometimes he could still see the look of disappointment on his father's face, and his mother covering to try and seem supportive.

As if reading his mind, Pansy asked, "Do they know you're home?"

Draco shook his head. "The paparazzi did snap a few photos of us at the airport so it's only a matter of time. But I haven't spoken to them since I left for London."

"You didn't even tell them you were taking a year off?" Pansy asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him.

"About that…" Draco carded his fingers through his hair nervously. "I don't know if it will just be the one year."

"What do you mean?"

"Harry and I – well he needs me. He needs a coach and I want to be with him. If that means that I retire then –" Draco cut himself off when he heard footsteps coming from down the hall. Pansy gave him a look that very much meant the conversation wasn't over. Harry walked back into the kitchen fully dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants and only looking a little mortified.

"Hi, I'm Harry," he said to Pansy, holding his hand out to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Harry," Pansy said, shaking his hand. "Pansy Parkinson, Draco’s long-suffering best friend. I've heard a lot about you."

"Probably about what a pain in the arse I am," Harry said, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his neck. 

"If anything I would have thought Draco was a pain in yours. Unless he's decided to switch up his bedroom habits."

Draco had just taken a sip of his coffee and immediately began to choke. Once he had gotten his breath back he glared at his bitch of a best friend. "Can't you behave yourself just once?"

Pansy giggled and pushed the pastry box towards Harry. "Help yourself."

"Thanks!" Harry looked over the pastries and picked out a chouquette. Draco got another mug down and filled it with coffee for Harry to enjoy with his breakfast. He wasn't sure how Harry took it so he pushed it over to him and watched as Harry put in two sugars and a splash of milk. Draco made a mental note of it for the next morning.

Pansy was doing her usual grilling of the new boyfriend when Draco's phone buzzed on the countertop. He picked it up to find a text message from his mother.

_Just saw that you're in town. Your father and I would love to see you for lunch. Wednesday around one o'clock if that suits._

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, cupping his mug in his hands and looking at Draco intently.

"It's nothing," Draco said, waving it off quickly.

"When he says it's nothing it's always something," Pansy filled Harry in knowingly.

Draco huffed irately. "My mother just texted to invite me to lunch on Wednesday."

"Oh," Harry said, shuffling a little. "You should go, right? I mean it's your parents. It would be rude not to go."

"I couldn't possibly," Draco said definitively. "That's your free skate and if you have to go first I might miss it. I'll just have to tell her I can't make it."

"Draco, I'll be fine," Harry insisted with a reassuring smile. He reached out and put his hand over Draco's. "You haven't seen your parents in months. It's just a lunch with them so how long could it last? You'll make it to the competition in plenty of time."

"Harry, I don't have to go," Draco said, turning his hand to lace his fingers through Harry's. He knew his parents had purposefully not invited Harry to this luncheon even though they must have known about him. They had never bothered to meet any of Draco's boyfriends, not that any of them were so great or worth bringing home. Draco hadn't even resented it until now. He wanted them to meet Harry and see how important Harry was to him. "I can't be your coach if I'm not there with you."

"You will be," Harry said with conviction, giving Draco's hand a squeeze.

Draco forced a smile onto his face. Harry didn't know his parents at all, and in that moment, Draco was kind of glad of that fact.

***

Draco arrived at the Manor at 12:45 because fifteen minutes early was late by his mother's standards. He also hoped that the earlier he was the sooner he could get out of there and get to the competition. He handed his coat to one of the servants and was told his parents were in the parlour having tea. 

When he stepped into the room, his mother stood up to greet him. He smiled warmly at her and embraced her when she put her arms around him. Despite some of her shortcomings, Draco really did love his mother. She was the main reason he was even there for lunch. Both his parents came from a long line of French aristocrats and had very conservative ideals. So while his mother didn't exactly support his being gay, she did her best to still love him, and that was about as much as Draco could ask for under the circumstances.

"Draco, darling, you're looking well," his mother said, taking his arm and guiding him over to the empty chair.

"Thank you, mother."

"Yes, very well considering you're throwing all your talent away," his father spoke up from behind his newspaper, not even bothering to look at Draco.

"I've only taken a year off," Draco said, frowning deeply.

"To help your competition improve," Lucius said with a jeer, dropping his newspaper and folding it up to place it on the table beside him. "While you in turn lose any momentum you had in the competitive skating world."

"Well, that's up to me."

"Karkaroff said he doesn't even know if he would take you back next season," his father informed him snidely, looking at Draco with the full weight of his stare. "What will you do then? Igor is the best there is. You've deeply offended him by your pretending to play coach."

"He's only offended because Harry is doing well," Draco responded angrily, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "If Harry had failed, then he would have been unbearably smug and would have taken me back in a heartbeat. He probably will anyway. Karkaroff is all talk."

"Don't you dare disrespect your coach," Lucius said, rising to his feet. "He's been with you from the beginning. He's the reason you have all those medals."

"So I had nothing to do with it?"

"Boys, please," Narcissa intervened, also getting to her feet and standing between her husband and her son. She placed her hands on Lucius' chest and murmured something Draco couldn't hear to placate her husband. "Draco is strong-willed. I'm sure he won't have a problem getting back into skating if that's what he wants."

"Of course that's what he wants," Lucius said, staring past his wife to fix Draco with his gaze. The same gaze that had forced Draco into obedience his entire life. A gaze that brokered no argument. "He's a champion."

"Actually, father, I haven't decided what I'm going to do in terms of my career," Draco informed him, not letting himself be intimidated. Since coming out to his family, he had lost a lot of the respect and admiration he'd held for his father. But somewhere deep down there was that little boy that wanted his father to be impressed. That wanted to be seen as a winner and someone worthwhile. "I think I might stay on as Harry's coach."

"That's preposterous!" His father shouted, his tone making Draco wince slightly.

"Lucius, darling, it's his decision," Narcissa said, trying to calm her husband. She turned to Draco and gave him a reassuring smile. "Are you sure that's what you want, Draco? You've worked so hard and you could still have a career."

"The only reason he wants to stay on as coach is because he's fucking that little fairy –"

"Lucius!"

"That's right boy, we saw you kissing him for all the world to see," Lucius spat out venomously. He stepped around Narcissa and got into his son's face. "Having your shame plastered all over the papers. You've single-handedly ruined this family's reputation."

"It's worse than that, father," Draco said, keeping his voice as even as possible. "I'm not just fucking him – I'm also in love with him." Draco let his lips curl into the distinct Malfoy sneer. "Just wait until the papers hear about that."

"Why you –" Lucius raised his arm to strike, but Narcissa grabbed his arm. Lucius looked back at her for a moment and then lowered his arm. "Get out."

"Gladly," Draco said, narrowing his eyes at his father. He wasn't even sure why he had come in the first place. He had known this would be nothing but disastrous from the beginning. Every time he’d tried to give his father the benefit of the doubt he’d just ended up regretting it. He turned to go and stopped to look at his mother. "I'm sorry."

Narcissa reached out and cupped Draco's cheek in her hand. Her grey eyes turned sad as if she knew the chances of Draco returning to the Manor were slim. "Be well, my son."

"Goodbye, mother."

***

After leaving his parents’ house, Draco walked around for a long time, trying to decompress by walking around the city he loved so much. He let himself get a little lost along the familiar streets, his hands in his trouser pockets, and his gaze on the road beneath his feet. He wished that after telling himself for so long that his parents' opinion didn't matter that it was actually true. He wished that an afternoon with his parents wasn't enough to send him spiraling.

It began to rain, and Draco gave up on his walk. He whistled for a taxi and gave the address for the competition. He still felt out of sorts as they pulled up in front of the venue and he paid the cab fare. His hair was sticking to his forehead, and rain water dripped into his eyes, but he couldn't even be bothered to wipe it away. When he entered the rink Viktor Krum was skating. Although a good precision skater, Viktor wasn't exactly graceful; his skating was much more about power and that had its own beauty. At the last Grand Prix, Viktor had come in second to Draco's first. Draco watched for a moment and then went to go find Harry.

"Draco!" Harry called out, rushing over to him. "What happened to you? You're soaking wet!"

"It's raining outside," Draco informed him, feeling numb. Not even seeing Harry was enough to pull him from his stupor. Suddenly, he just felt so tired.

"It's Cormac next and then me," Harry said, his eyes wide and frightened with nerves. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it in time."

Draco took a deep breath and let it out shakily. "I can't hold your hand through everything, Harry. Either skate to win or don't, but I can't win gold for you. Stop pinning everything on me. It's pathetic."

Harry took a step back as if he'd been slapped. "Draco…why would say something like that?" Harry's eyes began to well up with tears, and Draco was finally snapped out of his funk. "Are you trying to make me angry like you did in America? Because I – I don't like that."

"No, Harry, I'm sorry," Draco said quickly, internally chastising himself for snapping at Harry like that. "I didn't mean it."

"As if I'm not under enough pressure skating in your home country," Harry shouted, the tears continuing to fall freely. "Everyone out there already hates me for taking you away from the sport, and if I don't do well today, they'll all feel validated. I've been worried this entire time about how my performance reflects on you and I always skate better when you're here with me. But I don't need you piling on and making me feel like I'm not good enough!"

"You are, Harry!" Draco reached out and took Harry's hands in his own. "You're a beautiful skater. You don't need to prove that to anyone."

"Yes, I do!" Harry yelled, dropping Draco's hands in favor of wrapping his arms around himself. "If I don't get on the podium today then the season will be over for me and everyone will think you were just wasting your time. It's one thing for everyone else to be thinking that, but I can't handle knowing you think that too."

"I don't, Harry," Draco insisted, wanting to reach out for him again but not knowing how. "I love…being your coach. It's just been a bad day. I'm sorry I took that out on you. You know I don't know what to say when you cry."

"You don't have to say anything," Harry said quietly, wiping the tears away from his cheeks. "You asked me to trust you, and I do. But it goes both ways, Draco. You have to put a little faith in me too."

Draco nodded and managed to pull Harry into a hug. He was nearly a head taller than Harry so Harry tucked perfectly under his chin. They stayed like that for a while, Harry slowly relaxing in his arms and the tension bleeding out of him. Draco felt the same happening to his own body. The hurt and tension he'd been carrying since that afternoon were being released; the knots in his back slowly untangling. A part of him wanted to thank Harry, for being there, for being so much more than Draco ever thought he deserved. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember that this was about Harry. He had already failed Harry once today and he was damned if he was going to do it again by bringing his own insecurities into it.

Harry tapped him on the back. "Draco, it's almost time. We should get going."

Draco pulled back and nodded. "Of course," he said softly. He bent down and pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead. "Let's go."

***

Draco stood in his usual spot to watch Harry's performance. He felt emotionally drained between his visit with his parents and his argument with Harry, yet he wouldn't have missed Harry's skate for the world. Although he had to admit he was looking forward to a nice long bath after this was all over.

As Harry's music started, Draco gnawed at his fingernail, feeling more anxious than he had for any of the other skates. He didn't want this to be the end of their season, he wasn't ready to stop just yet.

_Come on, Harry. I know you can do it._

Draco could feel his stomach clench as Harry went into his first combo, a quadruple toe-loop, single loop, triple lutz combination. Harry landed them all beautifully and Draco found himself struggling to breathe. He was struck by the way Harry was skating, as though every movement was new and unique. He looked more relaxed this time, more in control, and Draco hoped he could keep this up until the end.

_Please, please, please, make it onto the podium._

Harry's next jump was a triple flip, one of his specialties but he over-rotated. Draco bit down harder on his finger. He could tell that Harry was getting into his own head, letting the pressure affect him.

_You have to recover. You're stronger than this, Harry._

Harry's free skate had more jumps in the second half to up the degree of difficulty. If he didn't pull himself together, he would never make it through them all. Draco felt his heart pounding and he wanted nothing more than to hide his eyes behind his fingers like a child watching a scary movie. But there was no way he could look anywhere except at Harry in that moment, even if it made his stomach clench.

Harry had finished most of his jumps successfully and was going into his final step sequence. Draco put his hands on the railing and gripped it tightly. One more jump and it would all be over.

Draco's jaw dropped when instead of doing a quadruple toe-loop as planned he did a quadruple flip. A quad flip had been Draco's signature move, but not even he had ever dared to do it as the final jump in a program. Harry couldn’t manage to land the jump and fell to the ice, but it appeared he'd gotten enough rotations in. Draco's hand covered his mouth in shock. Harry was immediately on his feet again and finished out the program.

Draco had never felt like this before, like every emotion inside him was going to spill out if he so much as removed his hand from his mouth. He was proud and humbled and in awe of the skater Harry had become.

"Are you having fun playing coach then, Draco?" Karkaroff asked, coming to stand next to Draco.

"Igor," Draco said, still watching Harry.

"You know you will never be a proper coach to him, don't you?" Karkaroff said, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. "You're much too selfish. You'll only end up ruining him."

"Oh how I've missed these little pep talks, Igor," Draco said, slipping out of Karkaroff's grip without ever even looking at his old coach. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must congratulate my skater on a wonderful performance. Dasvidaniya."

Draco reached Harry just as he was stepping off the ice. He opened his arms and Harry moved into the embrace without hesitation. "No kiss this time?" Harry teased against Draco's neck. "I must have been disappointed."

"Never," Draco murmured, kissing Harry on the cheek. "You were amazing out there. We'll have to work on the quad flip so that you can land it at the Grand Prix Final."

Harry laughed. "We don't know for sure I'll make it yet," he reminded Draco.

"You will," Draco said with conviction. "And even if you don't, I am so proud of you."

"You are?" Harry asked, looking a little caught off guard.

"Yes, Harry," Draco said, kissing his other cheek. "There's one more thing I want to tell you."

"What's that?"

Draco knew he had to be brave – to show even a small bit of the courage Harry had just displayed out on the ice. He took a deep breath and finally released what he'd been trying to say to Harry for so long. "I love you."

***

Draco and Harry went crashing into Draco's apartment, their lips locked on each other as Draco struggled to get his key out of the door. Harry was hanging off Draco with his arms around his neck, his cheeks flushed and his mouth tasting of champagne. Harry had placed third, a bronze medal to go along with his silver, and they had done a bit of celebrating afterwards.

"Say it again," Harry murmured against Draco's lips.

Draco laughed and finally managed to get his key out of the door. He kicked it shut behind him and pressed Harry up against the closest available wall. "I love you," he said and cupped Harry's face in his hands, tilting it perfectly so that he could control the kiss. Harry's arms fell limply to his sides and he moaned against Draco's mouth.

Draco pressed his thigh between Harry's legs and felt the beginning of Harry's erection. "I love you too," Harry gasped out, letting himself rut against Draco's thigh. "Take me to bed."

Sliding an arm around Harry, Draco kept him close as they walked together to the bedroom, kissing the entire way there. Once inside, Draco began unbuttoning Harry's shirt, licking at Harry's pulse point and feeling it jump under his tongue. Harry groaned and dropped his head back, letting Draco slide his shirt off his shoulders, as he bit playfully at Harry's collarbone.

Draco dropped gracefully to his knees and undid Harry's flies while he grinned up at his lover. He fished Harry's cock out and stroked it a few times to bring it to full hardness. Holding it by the base, he licked slowly from root to tip. "D-Draco," Harry whimpered, canting his hips forward towards Draco's mouth. He reached out and slid his fingers through Draco's silver-blond hair. "It feels almost unreal, having you like this."

Draco pressed a few kisses to the side of Harry's shaft. "Why is that?"

Harry made a funny noise in the back of his throat – halfway between a moan and a laugh. "I- I've had a crush on you since I was thirteen," he admitted, biting his bottom lip as Draco swirled his tongue over the head. "If I had known then that I would be getting sucked off by Draco Malfoy, I don't think my teenage heart would have been able to handle it."

Harry hiccoughed slightly and then smiled down at Draco. Draco couldn't help chuckling. "That's quite the compliment, Harry." He took Harry into his mouth and began to bob his head. Draco prided himself at being very good at this. He might never have been able to keep a boyfriend long term but he knew this was one area in which he was not lacking.

"Oh Christ!" Harry cried out, his hand tightening in Draco's hair as the other slapped against the wall as if he were trying to keep it upright.

Draco took Harry deep, his nose bumping up against the trimmed bit of pubic hair at the base. He kept his eyes trained on Harry as he deep-throated his cock, pressing his tongue against the underside and massaging it. Harry had his eyes screwed shut as he made little mewling noises. Draco couldn't help feeling a bit smug that he'd gotten Harry worked up so quickly.

He pulled off and sucked in a breath, resting his forehead against Harry's hip for a moment. Then he stood back up and tugged Harry to the bed. "Mon coeur," Draco whispered, gently pushing Harry down and climbing on top of him. "Mon coeur est à toi."

Harry was a vision beneath him – his lips kiss-swollen, his skin flushed down to his chest – as Draco slowly opened him up with his slender fingers. Draco's hands were shaking as he went to put the condom on and lubed up, his emotions making him sloppy in his movements. As he slid into Harry's body it was much smoother than their first time, but Draco didn't think he'd ever get used to the feeling of Harry clenching so perfectly around him.

"Draco," Harry sighed out happily as he wrapped his legs around Draco's waist.

Draco slid his hands up Harry's arms and then put them above Harry's head, lacing their fingers together. Their bodies moved in tandem, so close that Draco could feel Harry's cock sliding against his stomach. He could hear Harry panting in his ear as he kissed along his jawline, his breath hitching every time Draco's cock pressed against his prostate.

"Oh! Oh my god!" Harry whined, his thighs clenching around Draco as his release spilled between them.

Draco captured his lips as he fucked him through his orgasm. He didn't think he'd ever grow tired of the way Harry looked when lost in complete surrender to his pleasure. He was stunning and Draco felt greedy for how much he wanted him. It only took a few more thrusts for him to finish, exhausted and drained from the day he'd had.

He barely had enough energy to pitch the condom in the rubbish bin and do a rudimentary clean up before he passed out with Harry in his arms. Before he fell asleep all he could think was that he wished this could be all the time. That Harry would be there in the flat Draco loved and belong to him completely.

***

### The Grand Prix Final in Barcelona

Draco stood beside Harry at the pre-competition banquet. Harry was very deliberately not drinking after what had happened last year, but Draco had decided to partake in a little champagne.

"Oh Draco!" Blaise Zabini called out, making his way through the crowd. "I can't tell you how I've missed you!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "You just saw me at Skate America, remember?"

"Yes, but it's not the same," Blaise said, pouting his lips. "Having you take part as a coach just isn't as fun as having you as a competitor. My motivation is completely shot."

Draco grinned and took a long sip of his champagne. "I'm sure Harry is more than up to the task of giving you a run for your money. After all, he placed above you at Skate America. I have no doubt he'll do it again."

Blaise smiled and sidled up to Harry, pressing his hand against Harry's backside. "What Harry, no dance off this year? I wore my good underwear in case you and I decided to strip again."

Harry turned bright red and scooted a little away from Blaise. "I didn't really strip, did I?" Harry asked Draco, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"You don't remember?" Draco asked, his brow furrowing in concern. Harry shook his head in response and that was a little disconcerting. Just how much did Harry remember from that night? It was a good thing Draco hadn't taken it any further than kissing under the circumstances.

"Do you want to see? I've still got the videos!" Blaise said, pulling out his phone.

"No!" Harry said quickly, waving his hands around.

Draco chuckled and put his arm around Harry. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You looked stunning as always." Harry blushed an even darker shade of red, and Draco couldn't help pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Aren't you two just adorable?" Blaise cooed, clasping his hands together. "I never thought I'd see you two doing more than hate fucking each other."

"And that's my cue to leave," Harry said, sliding out of Draco's embrace and going over to the buffet table.

"Will you send me those videos?" Draco asked once Harry was out of earshot.

"No problem," Blaise said with a wink.

***

Draco awoke the next morning in the hotel room he was sharing with Harry. He was spooning Harry with his nose pressed against Harry's nape and his hand resting on Harry's chest just over his heart. It was quickly becoming Draco's favorite way to start the morning. He'd gotten spoiled in Paris when they were sharing Draco's apartment and then when they'd gone back to London, Draco had slept in Harry's bed every night. All the time in London spent trying to find a way past Harry's defenses and he'd finally gotten there. He felt complete in a way he never had before with another partner.

Since neither of them had a hangover to nurse, they decided to do a little sightseeing in Barcelona and maybe some shopping. Harry liked to buy little gifts and souvenirs for his family and friends when he traveled. He spent a long time picking out the perfect gift for his parents, Hermione, Ron, their kids, and Luna. Draco watched Harry pour over the street vendors’ wares with a determined look on his face that just made Draco want to kiss him.

Harry had already found something for everyone back home and yet he was still searching. Draco didn't understand what he was looking for until Harry led them into a jewelry store and straight to one of the counters, asking to look at rings. The shop assistant brought out a few collections, and Harry ran his finger lightly over several, asking Draco’s opinion as he inspected them. Finally, he was satisfied and picked out a pair of rings. They were stainless steel and looked like a small dragon curled around the finger. "It's so we never forget this program we created together," Harry explained with a shy smile. "And also because of your name. I looked it up and Draco is Latin for dragon. This whole season has meant so much to me and I wanted something to commemorate it. You don't know how grateful I am to you. I was pretty lost before you showed up."

Draco held out his hand and let Harry slide the ring onto his finger. "It almost seems like you're proposing," he managed to tease even though it felt like his heart had relocated to his throat.

Harry ducked his head in embarrassment. "It's just a good luck charm," he murmured sheepishly.

Draco smiled and brushed Harry's hair to the side in order to trace the lightning scar on his forehead. "Harry, I want to see you win," he confessed, taking Harry's hand and sliding his matching ring onto it. "More than that though, I want to see you skate the way I know you can. The way you skated in that video with no stress or expectation. Skate because you love it and you're good at it. Show the world tomorrow the beauty and strength inside you that I see every day. That's what I want more than anything as your coach."

Harry nodded and then folded himself into Draco's arms, his head tucked under Draco's chin, just where he belonged.

***

The six that had made it to the Grand Prix Final ensured stiff competition. There was Blaise Zabini of the United States, Theodore Natsuko of Japan, Viktor Krum of Russia, Cedric Diggory of Switzerland, Cormac McLaggen of Canada, and of course Harry rounding them out. Draco knew that Viktor Krum would be a fierce competitor this season as he had won gold at both the Trophée de France and the Rostelecom cup. Karkaroff as his coach was likely to push Viktor hard to make up for Draco leaving – a chance to save some face after losing his best skater.

Cormac McLaggen was new to the senior division that year and was still fairly inexperienced. Draco had never skated against him before so he didn't know that much about him. Cedric, Theodore and Blaise were all worthy opponents as they all had been in the senior division for years, and Draco had shared a podium with each of them at different events. He just wished Harry had an easier climb to the podium.

After Harry had snuck a quad flip into his free skate, they had decided to put this jump into his short program as well. They had been working hard on it but Harry's success rate still wasn't high. If Harry wanted a chance to beat Viktor, he would have to up the level of difficulty in his routines. Viktor's strength lay in his jumps – having no issue with the power or speed to execute them flawlessly.

As Harry prepared to take the ice, they clasped their hands together, and Draco kissed Harry's ring. "Go out there and show everyone who you are," he said softly. "They'll fall in love just as I did."

"I don't think you could handle that amount of competition," Harry quipped, sliding his hand out of Draco's and skating backwards to take his place at center ice.

Draco kept his hand raised for a moment and then let it drop onto the railing. He couldn't believe this was going to be the last time Harry skated this program that they had created together. It felt like so long ago that Draco had shown up in London to surprise Harry and become his coach. Things were very different now, and Draco had never cared this much about another person. He wanted Harry's happiness above all else. Perhaps he wasn't too selfish to be a coach after all.

As Harry began his routine, Draco felt tension throughout his entire body. He knew Harry would be thinking about his accident a year ago, and that thoughts of it were threatening his concentration. He could only hope Harry could push past it and focus on the routine.

Draco felt his own nerves ratchet up when it became time for the quad flip. He knew how bad Harry wanted to land it, and Draco felt his breath hitch as it got closer. Harry had good speed going into the jump and he just had to keep up his momentum. As he landed, one hand touched the ice, but at least he hadn't fallen. Still, Draco could see how visibly upset Harry was as he finished out the program.

Draco couldn't help recalling his own mistakes during competitions, all the times Karkaroff had yelled at him at the kiss and cry, how hard he had always taken it when he failed. He found he didn't miss it at all. It was nice to still be involved in the sport he loved without all the weight of expectation on his shoulders. His time in the limelight was over. Now, he wanted to build something new with Harry.

When Harry got off the ice, Draco wasn't quite sure what to say. He certainly wasn't going to yell like other coaches and make Harry feel bad for his mistake. Harry's face fell even more as they announced his score and he didn't even break one hundred points. Harry dropped his face into his hands, and Draco sat beside him wondering how he could make Harry feel better.

As Cedric Diggory took the ice, Harry dropped his hands down to watch his skate. Cedric was impressive, and Draco could see Harry starting to despair the longer he watched. "Come on," Draco said, tugging on Harry's sleeve. "We don't need to watch. Let's go."

"Okay."

***

When they arrived back at the hotel room, Draco made sure to take care of Harry the way he wished someone had always taken care of him after a bad performance. He iced Harry's feet for a bit and then drew him a hot bath. Harry sat amongst the bubbles still looking a little lost with Draco sitting on the floor beside the tub. Draco wished he knew what to do – either as Harry's coach or as his partner – but he was sadly ill-equipped to deal with this situation. He knew that nothing anyone said had ever made him feel better after he'd messed up a routine. He had a feeling that Harry was very similar to him in that regard.

"Draco?" Harry spoke up for the first time since leaving the rink.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I've made a decision," Harry said, sinking lower into the tub. "Tomorrow will be my final skate. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me and I never could have gotten where I am without you. I think we should end it though."

Draco felt heat prickle the corner of his eyes. "That's disappointing." He was caught off guard by Harry's declaration. He knew Harry was taking the missed jump hard, but he hadn't expected him to be this upset about it.

"Draco…are you crying?" Harry asked, clearly surprised. Draco couldn't remember ever crying in front of Harry before. It must have been quite the sight.

"I'm angry, okay?" Draco said, trying to blink the tears away. "Harry, you can't let one little mistake derail your whole career."

"It's not just that," Harry said, bringing his knees up to his chest. "We agreed you would only take a year off to be my coach. You belong on the ice, Draco. You can make your comeback -"

"That isn't your decision to make!" Draco shouted, getting to his feet. "You don't get to pick when and how I return to figure skating."

Harry pulled the plug on the bath and got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and followed Draco into the bedroom. "Draco – this is for the best –"

"I don't want to hear it!" Draco yelled, wiping furiously at his eyes. "Why did I bother helping you if you were just going to throw it away? My career is over, Harry, but yours is just getting started! How can you be this selfish?"

"Selfish would be keeping you as my coach!" Harry insisted, grabbing Draco's arm to stop him pacing. "That would kill you as a competitive figure skater. You're going to have a hard enough time returning as it is."

"Harry, I don't want it," Draco told him, reaching out and cupping Harry's cheek. "I want you. I want to continue seeing how you'll grow as a skater. You cannot deprive the world of the beauty of your skating just when they are starting to fall in love with you."

"But Draco –"

"I can't make this decision for you, Harry," Draco said softly, letting his thumb caress Harry's cheek. "I am retiring either way, but I would really love to stay on as your coach for as long as you'll have me."

"Draco –"

"Don't decide anything now," Draco begged him. He had a feeling that Harry was going to continue to argue with him. If they did that then it would be a no and Harry would retire. Draco didn't want him to. "Make your decision after the final skate when you win the gold."

***

A melancholia had settled over them as Harry did his stretches for his final skate. Neither of them had talked much after their fight the previous evening. Nothing had been settled except that Harry would make his decision after his final skate. Draco didn't know how to explain to Harry that he felt he had nothing left to offer the sport except as Harry's coach. A version of him would live on in Harry but Draco had no interest in pursuing his skating career.

After years of searching for something to give him purpose, remaking himself on the ice year after year, he felt like he'd finally found what he’d been looking for with Harry. There was a strong foundation, and Draco wanted a chance to see it grow. He'd been chasing the dream his father had set for him when he was eleven, but now he wanted something different. A new dream to call his own.

"Harry," Draco said, putting his hands on Harry's shoulder. "I know you can do this. You can still win the gold."

Harry smiled softly and surged up onto his toes to kiss Draco. "If I wanted a proper coach, I wouldn't be sticking with you," he teased after breaking the kiss.

Draco felt his heart start racing as he began to hope. "You mean –"

Harry nodded and then pressed his forehead against Draco's. "Gold or not – I want to keep fighting and winning with you as my coach."

"Harry!" Draco threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that!"

Harry laughed and hugged Draco back. They stayed holding each other until they could hear them call Harry up next. They walked together through the curtain and prepared for Harry to go onto the ice.

Draco had one final trick up his sleeve as Harry's coach. He grabbed the front of Harry's costume and pulled him forward. "Harry, I took a year off to be your coach. I've now extended that to continue on helping you. But I have no interest in coaching someone who can't win gold."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at Draco's words, and then his lips twitched with the want to smile.

"How long are you going to keep me waiting?" Draco asked, softening his tone slightly. "You're better than everyone here. Show them."

Harry's green eyes sparkled for a moment and he nodded. Grinning determinedly, he pushed off from the wall and went to center ice.

Harry kept that same look of determination on his face as the music swelled and his program began. Draco watched but didn't have the same stomach knots he normally had because this wasn't the end of their time together. There would be more competitions and more choreography. Draco would still get to design a program and watch it being executed – only this time he wouldn't be on his own. 

Draco had always felt like he did everything alone. After turning fifteen, he began picking his own music and choreographing his own routines to tell a story. Karkaroff had mostly just been there to yell at him when he screwed up. He hoped that Harry knew – whether he got on the podium or not – he wasn't doing this alone.

The steps were so familiar that Draco could have closed his eyes and still seen exactly what Harry was doing. Harry looked so confident out there – each movement flawless and precise – none of the doubt that he had at the beginning of the season. Draco couldn't have been more proud as he watched Harry masterfully control the ice. No one could look away from him.

So far so good, Draco thought.

It wasn't until they neared the final jump that Draco began to get nervous. It was another quad flip and based on how things went the day before, Draco didn't want Harry upset again if he didn't land it. Draco held his breath and released it in a surprised gasp when Harry landed the jump perfectly. Draco covered his mouth with his hand, the ring Harry had chosen for him resting against his lip. He would have sworn he'd never witnessed anything as extraordinary in his life.

Draco was already waiting for Harry before he even got off the ice. He held his arms out in anticipation. "Harry!" Draco shouted, calling him over.

Harry skated over and let himself just fall into Draco’s open arms. "I did it," he said, sounding slightly shocked.

"You were incredible, Harry," Draco assured him and hugged him tight. "Magnifique!"

"Absolutely incredible folks, Harry Potter's total score is 221.58. He's beaten the world record previously held by his coach, Draco Malfoy! He is currently in first place!"

***

Draco watched from the side as Harry went up onto the podium to receive his first place medal. The cameras flashed and Draco cocked his head to the side, taking it all in. He thought he might feel something, an ache in his chest or some type of jealousy. Instead, all he felt was the love he had for Harry as he stood at the top of the podium with Viktor and Cedric on either side.

When he got off the ice, Harry held his medal out for Draco to see. 

"You know, now that you're a gold medalist, I'll expect a better overall performance next season," Draco told him, lifting the medal between his fingers and pressing his lips to it. “Not to mention the high expectations as we head into Nationals.” 

"Not going to take it easy on me, huh?" Harry said, blushing as Draco let the medal drop back onto Harry’s chest and pulled him in for a sweet kiss.

"Do I ever?" Draco shot back with a smirk.

Harry put his arms around Draco's shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. "And you're certain you won't miss skating in competitions?"

Draco shook his head slightly and slid his arms around Harry's waist. He thought about all the new emotions he'd let himself feel this year by being Harry's coach, how he'd learned to find happiness outside of himself and his abilities. "No," he said softly, indulging in the feeling of getting to hold Harry close and just being himself. "What could be better than this?"

**Author's Note:**

> ***
> 
> This work is part of "Lights, Camera, Drarry" (LCDrarry), a film-, TV- and theatre-inspired Drarry fest.  
>  The creators will be revealed on [tumblr](http://lcdrarry.tumblr.com) and [AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/LCDrarry2020/works) on 15 June 2020.
> 
> Please show your appreciation to the creator with kudos and comments :)


End file.
